


Perk of Rank

by starwarsbard



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Comfort, Corellian Alcohol (Star Wars), Fluff, Gen, Kissing, Pining CT-7567 | Rex, Post-Episode: s04e07 Darkness on Umbara, Protective CT-7567 | Rex, Sleepy Cuddles, lowkey alcoholism, post Umbara Stress disorder, sorry this second chapter is an oof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27928987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwarsbard/pseuds/starwarsbard
Summary: A job at Coruscant's clone bar, 79's, has it's perks, and catching the eye of a certain blonde clone Captain is one of them.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Reader
Comments: 33
Kudos: 168





	1. Perk of Rank

**Author's Note:**

> I love him. That's all Folks.

While clones weren’t paid a single credit for doing their only job, there still were… incentives, of course. 

The Republic wasn't completely heartless. 

79s became popular quickly, and bartending for clones just seemed like a much better gig than taking whatever jobs you could get on the lower levels. 

You needed the money after all.

Even when drunk out of their minds, the clones tended to be more respectful than most of the men you’d had been unfortunate enough to meet in your life so far. With the same face and blood, they tended to respect each other’s space and wishes. Still, they all had different wants and needs, and fights, though rare, sometimes seemed like the best idea to the troopers. They always broke off quickly with level headed mediators stepping in without the need for paid security interference. Something to do with brotherhood you were sure. 

At first it was difficult to find the differentiation between them all, but tattoos and helmets helped significantly. The more you talked with them the more you noticed just how different they really were. In fact, the different batches seemed to act exactly how you learned their Jedi generals were. 

The 212th played by the rules, mediating disagreements more often than starting them. Commander Cody always tended to be a sweetheart, far more interested in hearing what you had to say than gushing about the glory of his own battles. He always gave in excitedly when you asked, though, and his stories were always skillfully told and a pleasure to listen to. 

The Wolf Pack tended to be reasonable. Depending on who you asked they could be either the most subdued or most confrontational. One look from Commander Wolffe, though, and his men would always stand down. You thanked him for keeping your bar mostly quiet and he always nodded at your gratitude. He had that commanding, eldest brother aura to him. 

The only battalion that talked about their Jedi quite often was the 327th. One day you made the mistake of asking about General Secura and Commander Bly practically did a presentation about her superiority. Either way, you let him drone on as some of the men and other commanders snickered and covered their mouths. 

All of those battalions became easy to differentiate, yes, but the easiest line to draw was that of General Skywalker’s men. 

Well... they were rowdy. 

And their poor Captain? Always exhausted. 

When you first met Rex, he had just returned from Cristophsis where a very unconventional battle had seemed to take everything out of him. If the bags under his eyes were any indication, he slept very little and never soundly. Still he kept your conversation moving, far less uptight than some of the other captains and commanders. His humor was ridiculously dry, and you found yourself genuinely laughing at almost everything he said. 

Rex always came to 79s with a group from the 501st. Fives and Echo were the textbook definition of batch mates. A perfect combination of support and friendly competition causing hilarious banter and antics. That’s why every time they saw you an ongoing flirting contest continued right where it left off. Kix seemed to always be embarrassed by the two of them while Jesse just wanted to pick a fight with other battalions at the drop of a hat. 

Rex definitely had his hands full. 

The 501st gave you quite a bit of attention, but had grown used to it and honestly didn’t mind one bit. 

But silence, on the other hand, was strange to try and decipher. 

Rex just... watched. 

Maybe it was on behalf of his brothers who seemed so smitten, or maybe… just maybe… it was to gauge your reaction. 

The idea of him being attracted to you excited you more than you’d like to admit. You found yourself watching the net updates on the 501st just to make sure you were prepared for the possibility of seeing Rex. It was never for anyone else, even the sweet clones that ranked higher. 

Only Rex. Always Rex. 

You couldn’t quite put your finger on what intrigued you so much about him, you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t considered it before. The way it would be with just the two of you. The way he tasted. The way his hands would feel. 

Maybe you were getting ahead of yourself concerning fantasies, but you spent a little extra time at the mirror before you left for your shift, imagining he would take notice. Seeing him was always the highlight of your week, knowing that the cheesy pick up lines dished out by his men would be worth the cringe if you got his attention for even a moment. 

Today was no different than the usual, the boys acting rowdy enough to leave you laughing while Rex watched in a calculative silence. One moment stood out in particular as you offered a newly filled glass to the captain while his brother’s talked to each other too loudly to notice an intentional move made by Rex. He let his fingers land over yours while you handed him the drink. In turn, the two of you stared down at the Corellian Whiskey as it swirled in the glass now perched between your hands. A slow huff came out between your lips while you felt the blush rise to your cheeks. The moment Jesse turned toward the two of you, you pulled your hand away, almost bashful at the idea of getting caught in that silent moment. 

You couldn’t get yourself to talk to Rex for the rest of the night. 

The boys of the 501st prepared to retire for the night, leaving an empty spot on your bar which you missed dearly once they wandered off into the early morning. Rex trailed the end of the group, your eyes lingering on him as he walked out the door. Much to your surprise he stopped, turning quickly and catching you staring. A smirk spread high on his face as a mortified blush dusted your cheeks and you whipped your gaze away. 

You peripherals caught his figure leaving, and you finally looked up again, shaking your head to shove your fantasies away. Tonight couldn’t have been what you imagined, could it? Just a touch that lasted much shorter than you remembered, right? You filled up another round for the few you had left at the bar, still unable to shake the thoughts of the Captain and his lingering touch from your mind. 

You should have quit while you were ahead. Daydreams of Rex distracted you while you grabbed your things as your shift finally ended. You had practically become nocturnal as you worked this job and dawn would come soon, most likely while trudging home to your crappy apartment a couple levels down and finally eating a quick meal before crashing in your less than suitable bed. 

As you left the front of 79s to start your walk home, you sensed a shadow coming up behind you. You peeked only slightly over your shoulder to get an eyeful before he spoke at you. 

“Hey there pretty,” it was a blue Twi'lek who reeked of spice, the type where it wasn’t just a recent smoke, but it lingered on his clothes from use after use. 

“I could treat you so much better than those clones sweetheart,” you wanted to snap at him about how you were a bartender and not a dancer, but decided ignoring him all together would be the best choice. You started to walk away and could hear his steps following close behind you. You hadn’t realized how fast he was walking until you felt a hand wrapped tight around your wrist, stopping you from reaching into your bag to get anything to protect yourself. You twisted violently to face your assailant, nose scrunching at the overwhelming scent of spice. 

“I was talking to you, pretty. Rude of you to ignore me.”

You yanked hard, but he only manhandled you towards an unfamiliar alley. Panic arose like a fire deep in your belly, and you started kicking and struggling as harshly as you could, yelling towards an empty street in a panic. 

He didn’t get you very far.

You both froze as the sound of a blaster going off echoed off the curves of the coruscant alleyway. The gunfire slammed into the wall mere inches from the Twilek’s head, causing a bit of debris to rain down. The shock allowed you enough time to wriggle out of his grasp. 

You turned your head towards the direction of the shot that saved you. 

Rex. 

He was focused, dual blasters aimed on the much taller man that could have just taken advantage of you. He growled, expression vastly different to the smirks and smiles offered while at 79s. He holstered one of his blasters, extending a hand in your direction and gesturing with two fingers for you to come. 

You ran to him without a second thought, taking his extended hand and following his lead as he tucked you into his chest. His palm fell into the curve of your back to keep you secure against him. It felt ridiculously natural for having never touched each other before today. 

“I won’t miss again,” his voice rumbled with the threat and you could feel the force of it through his chest plate. You subconsciously nuzzled the plastoid and wrapped your arms around him as silent gratitude for his protection. 

He smelled really really good in comparison to the unfamiliar man you had been with just moments ago. Industrial mixed with the Corellian whiskey you served him a bit before and something so distinctly Rex that you couldn’t put a name to it. 

Rex didn’t need to warn the man again, he bolted, footsteps disappearing as he tripped over himself to run away from the highly trained trooper. Rex put away the other blaster, using his now free arm to engulf you in the nicest hug you had ever received. You happily leaned into the warmth that you could still feel through his armor.

“He touch you?”

He muttered the question bitterly into your hair. You shook your head as much as you could without leaving his embrace. You looked up meeting his eyes and willing away the panicked tears that had welled up moments before. 

“Thank you,” you stressed it as best as you could, hoping he would understand just how thankful that not only had he saved you but that it had been him who saved you, and no one else. The two of you stared at each other, enjoying the monumental bliss from being alone together. 

But those daydreams lingered. 

And now you could cut through the tension in the air with a knife. 

He glanced down to your mouth and that was it. 

He slammed your lips together like a man starved. Passion oozed from his intentions, and you were immediately convinced he didn’t indulge himself often. Sparks flew in your belly and you squeaked in excitement, which he obviously took as a negative sign. 

He pulled away in a messy panic. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered some curses under his breath while shaking his head, “I shouldn’t have-”

You cut him off with another kiss, less hurried and more deliberate on your end. 

Time froze as you allowed yourself to get lost in the sensation. All you could think of was Rex and you saw no problem with that. The sun was starting to peek through the top of the alley, bathing you and your handsome savior in a halo of light. 

The two of you pulled apart breathless. 

“You don't know how long I’ve wanted that,” you whispered between deep breaths, “Walk me home? I live three levels down and I can-”

He snorted, scooping up your hand into his and placing a quick kiss on the back, much softer than his own. 

“Nope, you’re coming to mine. I’m closer.”

You felt only the slightest bit of hesitation as you didn’t have anything to prepare for an overnight stay. 

“Let me take care of you?”

He laced your fingers with his, the tactical gloves being only slightly uncomfortable. You followed him as he took an unfamiliar path through the twisting alleys, feeling safe with him so close. 

He led you to a building, far nicer than the one you rented. Of course another perk of rank. 

His apartment was beautiful, but very him in the way it seemed spotless. You sheepishly asked for a change of clothes. Though he seemed a little embarrassed at the thought, he took you to his ‘fresher and collected a large shirt and sweats for you to change into. 

They smelled like him. The whole place smelled like him. Hell, if it was up to you, you’d never leave. You were more than content to stay with the trooper you had pined over for almost an entire year. 

Rex layed back on the couch once you returned to him, and you curled into his side with his arm around your shoulders, pressing absent minded kisses from the skin of his neck to his lips. 

You could get used to this. 

You must have fallen asleep because he whispered a gentle apology for waking you into your neck as he carried you to what you could only imagine was the bedroom. You sank into the plush and definitely expensive mattress as it dipped beside you, Rex maneuvering the blankets to cover you both. You cuddled into his warmth, drifting back to sleep as light filtered in through the windows. 

Later Rex told you the next day it had been the best sleep he had in months. 

You replied cheekily that meant you had to do it more often.


	2. Perk of Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all wanted more Rex but are you willing to pay the consequences of such?

You had made sure that you had work off when the 501st came back to town this time. Rex gave you access to his apartment months back, allowing you to crash there basically whenever you wanted so long as you gave him the heads up. 

The best times though, were when he had his off days and the two of you could spend it together. They were few, with plenty of time in between, but they almost made everything else worth it. 

Tonight would be one of those wonderful moments in time. You twisted open a bottle of the Corellian Whiskey your Captain loved so much that you had matched to the brand used in 79s. You knew the rest of the boys would be out tonight, and maybe they would miss you behind the bar, but the break was exactly what you had been working weeks towards. They could wait to see you tomorrow if they really wished. 

But Rex couldn’t wait. 

All the kisses shared, the secrets told... he felt like your world. It was a wonderfully hidden relationship that nobody really knew about it besides the two of you. That truthfully made it all the more special. 

Rex was too important to wait, so the first night back was always spent with him. 

You couldn’t quite remember where the 501st had been deployed. Something like Umbra… Bara?

_ Umbara.  _

Yes, that was it. He had left three weeks ago talking about how it could be a pivotal battle in the war. Maybe it was all wishful thinking, but the idea of Rex finally getting a  _ real  _ break at the end of this mess made you smile. You knew he appreciated the quiet times spent together, but also that it was more momentary avoidance of problems rather than actually relaxing. 

You would always provide what you could. 

_ Always.  _

At that moment of silence, Rex came through the door. 

You could tell that something was terribly wrong. 

Granted every time he came home he would look exhausted and be shedding the armor as fast as he could, wrapping you in hugs and simply enjoying your company. This time he stared blankly at you and the pretty array over your shoulder, looking beyond physically tired with his helmet cradled tightly in his arm. 

Emotional fatigue mixed with all the tiring work never ended well, but he looked a moment away from breaking in two. 

He forced a smile. 

“Hey,” he dropped his bag, setting the helmet down on the table, and pulling you into a hug that stole your breath away. Usually he was a bit more nuanced when it came to physical contact, easing into it. Tonight it felt as though he  _ needed _ the touch, and you happily obliged. He lifted you off the ground slightly, holding you impossibly tighter in his arms. 

This close you could see that the dark roots of his hair had started to grow out. If there was one thing Rex cared about, it was physical hygiene. You knew it was a part of him that he could control all on his own, which is why he insisted on dying it blonde every chance he got. It stood as a way to stand out with both the 501st and among all his thousands of brothers. Not everyone was as dedicated with the hair dye as him, and seeing him without the signature look made you worry. 

“Hey?” 

It came out more questioning than you hoped, alluding to the fact you could tell that something wasn’t quite right. Rex sighed, pulling away from the hug and letting you slide a hand onto his face. He leaned into your palm, one of his falling into a similar position on your face. He closed his eyes, breathing out hard through his nose, obviously trying to calm whatever demons were threatening to slip out. 

Something wet hit your hand. 

A tear. 

_ Oh maker.  _

“Rex?”

You sounded distressed, wanting to know exactly what was wrong so you could stitch it back up with whatever you could. Another tear fell and you met it with your thumb this time, wiping it away. Rex seemed ashamed of showing this weakness, and he pulled away to pass you and pick up the glass you had perfectly filled moments before. He lifted the whisky to his lips, tilting the glass and downing it with a smooth hiss. He grabbed the bottle and filled it again, higher this time as he explained with his back still to you. 

“They made us fire… they made  _ me _ fire on other clones.”

He paused, swirling the glass and taking another gulp. 

“General Krell… betrayed us. We shot at the 212th. We lost so many… I almost lost Fives and Jesse… I...”

He cut himself, staring at the ground, no doubt thinking upon his brother’s faces. 

“They’re all I have left… and I almost got them  _ killed.” _

“ _ Maker,”  _ you whispered incredulously. Rex cared about his men desperately. You had seen how sometimes the clones kept tally marks of their kills on their armor, some using it to show off to you across the bar, even though such displays were discouraged by the

Republic. You later found out that Rex’s tally marks represented the men, the  _ friends  _ he lost. 

It was one of the reasons you fell in love with him. The heart behind the helmet, so unique that it became impossible for anyone to convince you that being with any other clone would be the same. 

DNA didn’t make a soul. It didn’t make the life force humming through each and every one of Rex’s men. Flowing through  _ him.  _

It was the caring heart beating terribly hard inside Rex that both tore him apart and made you love him. 

Rex had been forced to attack the ones he held in the highest regard, the ones that he couldn’t defend more than remembering and viewing them as individuals, the ones that were following orders to fight in a war that defined their very existence. 

The only family he had ever known. 

You didn’t feel the need to hear more or have him elaborate, you knew he would with time. Instead you offered what you could with your limited ability. 

You slammed into his back, wrapping your arms tightly around his waist and  _ squeezing  _ as tightly as possible. It surprised him initially, pausing and jumping quietly before relaxing into the touch and swirling his glass again. You creeped a hand up to hold over his heart, hoping he would get the message through the plastoid. 

You let him cry silently, feeling him huff as you pressed your forehead into the cold armor of his back. A hand caught the one that barely reached the part of his chest plate, pulling it off only to lace his fingers around yours and place it back where it was. 

That’s how you stayed as he swapped from the glass to drinking straight from the bottle, comforting him as best as you could while letting him silently mourn. 

He was quiet, but a kiss to your hand told you without words that it meant the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry pls don't kill me.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE BE NICE I'VE NEVER POSTED MY FIC BEFORE AAAAAAAA


End file.
